The Impact Of Technology On An Individuals Emotions

There has been recurring debate on the advantages and disadvantages of technology ever since its rapid involvement in our everyday lives. Many defend the use of technology, effectively providing the population with useful information and inventions that make our lives easier, while many argue against it, asserting the lack of security and privacy it comes with. Many tend to overlook the impact it has on one’s emotions, stunting an individuals ability to express their feelings, and affecting their perception on the world.

The introduction of emoji’s and emoticons plays a major role in one’s emotions. They are designed in such a way that a user finds it convenient to express their feelings and emotions through a selection of two to three emojis. Users don’t realize their extreme reliance on emojis, feeling that a text message is incomplete without portraying their emotion through an emoji. There is an undertone of detachment with this process, where their addiction towards emojis stunts their emotional response in real life. For example, there is the constant over use of the ‘heart’ emojis, where people send them around without thinking twice. Somewhere along the way, these users have lost the ability to portray love through others ways instead of text. Users are left confused, their emotions as blank and mechanical as the machines they function with.

There is a sense of comfort behind a screen, where people gain the ability to express their freedom and individuality. It’s an over-dependence on words behind a screen that holds them back from speaking out in the real world – where they can’t edit or delete their words. User’s remain hesitant to confront their real life selves, and prefer texting more than having a live conversation with the same person. It might even be said that they fear expressing their true emotions, having a habit of being hidden through hearts, and laughter emojis. Most cases, people who use the expressive emoji’s only feel a small fraction of the actual emotion, which makes their fear of expression relevant.

While social media and texting undoubtedly allows users to keep in contact with those that live far away, they don’t realizing they lose contact with the ones right in front of them. Expressions have turned to blank stares and faces, where they only feel a fraction of an emotion and have no need to display it wholly on their faces. It constricts our feelings, leaving us to wonder when humanity stopped being so humane.